The invention relates to an access panel, and the formation thereof, for a vending machine. The access panel is movable between open and closed positions and can provide access areas of vending machines including dispensed items and also security from theft of items stored in certain vending machines. The access panel includes an outer panel portion and an inner panel portion with advertising indicia between the panels and viewable by a consumer thru the outer panel.
Vending machines are well known and are available in several styles. Drink dispensers can dispense drinks in cups or prefilled containers, e.g., canned soda. Many drink dispensers are specific to the products of one company and the entire front panel is oftentimes devoted to advertising the products of that company. Vending machines may also dispense prepackaged ingestible products, such as candy bars, chips, chewing gum, cookies, crackers, etc. Such vending machine typically have a front door with a large window for viewing of the products available inside for dispensing. A product selector is also provided to select the desired product by matching the product and a product selection button. The selected product is then fed from a magazine storing the product to a product retrieval area located at the bottom of the vending machine. The product mix is generally large and is frequently changed in such machines depending on product sales, availability, profit margin, etc. Such machines have little if any room for effectively advertising products because of the need for the large product viewing window. Because of the changing nature of the products in the machine, dedicated advertising cannot be provided without changing major components of the vending machine. Typically, it is desirable to have as much of the machine as possible with advertising indicia to attract consumer attention or to provide advertising at eye level to also attract consumer attention to the advertising to encourage the sale of one brand over another brand. With vending machines having large product viewing windows and many different products inside, effective space for changeable advertising has not been considered as being available.
Decals or the like could be applied to such vending machines. Although decals can be changed from time to time to change advertiser, they are easily damaged and can be removed or changed without authorization. Advertising could be applied, for example by printing or painting, to the exterior of the vending machine. It too can be easily damaged and it would be difficult and expensive to change. The size and location of such advertising indicia though is limited without obscuring the view of the products for sale in window type vending machines.
There is thus a need for vending machines that can advertise products in a way that will attract consumer attention to the product yet have advertising that is not easily damaged or removed without authorization and can be changed without major expense or modification of the vending machine.
The present invention provides advertising indicia that will be seen by a large number of machine users to encourage buying a particular brand or product. The indicia can be easily changed without major expense, is resistant to damage and cannot be easily removed or changed without authority.
Among the several objects and features of the present invention may be noted the provision of a vending machine that can be used to display changeable advertising; the provision of such a vending machine that includes advertising that can be easily and inexpensively changed; the provision of such a vending machine that includes advertising that is damage resistant; the provision of such a vending machine that includes advertising at a location that is easily seen by consumers but does not obscure viewing of the products in the vending machine; the provision of a vending machine that has the advertising indicia as part of the product access door (access panel); and the provision of such a door that has the advertising behind the outer surface to protect the advertising from wear, abuse and unauthorized access; and the provision of such a door that can be easily made and changed.
An aspect of the present invention is the provision of a vending machine for the dispensing of packaged products such as drinks, confections and food. The vending machine has a movable access panel providing access to an internal area of the machine by a person, the access panel being located such that a machine user is likely to view the access panel during operation of the machine. The vending machine includes an enclosure securely enclosing product to be selectively purchased by a consumer. A plurality of feed mechanisms are each operable to selectively dispense product to a product access area where the consumer can access the dispensed product for subsequent use. A product selection device is associated with the feed mechanism and usable by the consumer to select the product desired for dispensing. An access panel is movable between closed and open positions adjacent to the product access area, the panel having a portion visible in the closed position to a consumer. The panel has advertising indicia behind an outer disposed surface of the visible portion of the panel and viewable therethrough by a consumer when the panel is in its closed position.
Another aspect of the invention is the provisions of a method of forming an access panel for a vending machine. The method includes forming an outer panel of material that allows viewing therethrough, said outer panel having an outer surface and an inner surface and a contour. Applying advertising indicia to at least a portion of the inner surface. Forming an inner panel and securing it in overlying relation to the advertising indicia thereby to have said advertising indicia between the inner and outer panels.
Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.